Westbury ..While in Swaziland, we had no email contact with the outside world and Coenie’s South African telephone didn’t work without a Swazi SIM card change. So, we headed back to South Africa without any confirmation that the project in Johannesburg would actually happen. However, when we crossed back into South African air space and the SIM card was changed again, Coenie’s phone beeped with several messages. One of them was from Khulisa, a crime prevention organization. I was going to Johannesburg.

With previous murals, I was a little anxious when I had no idea what was going to happen upon arrival. Now, it was just part of the adventure. When we arrived in Johannesburg, Coenie called Regi at Khulisa for directions. As soon as I heard his voice, I knew I’d been in good hands.

I was right, too.

This mural was unlike any other I’d made so far. It was an anti-drug mural painted on the side of a housing flat at a street corner in a township where drug addicts hung out. The drawing showed a South African taxi bus with the message, “Don’t let drugs take you for a ride!” The drug addicts who used to hang out by this particular wall had to relocate when the paint crew arrived. Even though it was close to freezing, I had a crowd of painters and spectators every day. No, it wasn’t hard to find volunteers to paint.

The mural was about 5 yards by 2 yards so I needed a ladder to reach the higher sections to draw the grid and paint. But, I didn’t have a ladder. However, I had resourceful helpers with me who did the next best thing in a township. They grabbed heavy duty trash cans and climbed on them to get to those those hard to reach places. And, every time I saw them climb up, I knew they were risking their lives for my art.

Thankfully, the second and third days were warmer. Crowds grew as the project neared completion.

Then, there was talk of a second mural.

I wasn't willing to paint another mural outside in a South African winter.. I just couldn't do it to myself (or at least my fingers). However, it briefly turned a bit warmer. So, yes, there really was a second mural.